Advertising device



Sept. 3, 1940. J. E. SAYRE ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Feb. 11, 1938 wivh llll na HHHH A INVENTOR Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATEfi @FFEQE ADVERTISENG DEVICE James E. Sayre, Jackson Heights, N. Y.

Application February 11, 1938, Serial No. 189,907

11 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of advertising devices, and more particularly to devices with a moving member provided with apertures through which is reflected or transmitted light for the purpose of attracting and arresting attention.

This application is a continuation in part of my application, Serial No. l10,l98,filed November 11, 1936 in the United States Patent Office, for a patent for improvements in Advertising devices.

0 In general, boards and other displays carrying advertising material are motionless and rely upon size, color or conspicuousness of location in order to attract attention to the advertising they bear. Those that have moving parts are in most cases expensive to manufacture or operate, and those that depend upon displays of electric lights are costly to manufacture or install, or likely to be uncertain in operation or expensive to keep up. I have invented a device which may be incorporated in a small advertising board, such as would be appropriate for a store counter or window display, which is small in initial cost, in operation and inexpensive to operate and keep up. It may also be used in connection with a larger display, such 5 as a large signboard for display in the open by day or illuminated by night. It may be used merely as an object of display or beauty in itself. It may be used for the purpose of attracting or directing attention to an object or place other :30 than advertising material or display.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates examples of the invention without defining its limits and in which Fig. l. is a front elevation of a device having a cylindrical 5 grid, the front part of the housing being broken away to show mechanism adapted to rotate. the cylinder about its axis; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a device similar to that shown in Fig. l, the side nearer the observer being broken away, and

40 a irustum of a cone in place of the cylinder shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a similar device whose moving part is an endless belt; and Fig. l is a plan view of the latter.

In Fig. l a hollow cylinder i, the surface of -5 which is a grid composed of spaced slats or strips 2, 2, disposed otherwise than parallel to the axis of the cylinder, is suitably mounted for rotation, either about its axis, or eccentrically, in bearings 3 and i. The cylinder l and the gear 5 are fixedly O mounted on shaft 6. Source of power I actuates worm 8 which meshes with gear 5 and so rotates cylinder i. The entire device is suitably housed as shown. The housing is adapted to carry advertising or other material to which it is sought to attract attention. Behind the cylinder l is a light the slats in the part of the cylinder farther from '1 the observer. As the cylinder is rotated the sections i2, E2 of the illuminated background so bounded by the nearer and farther slats, appear to move upward or downward depending upon the direction of rotation of the cylinder. This illusion "15 is striking and effective, and is produced with more than expected effectiveness by constructing the cylinder slats of opaque material having light absorbing surfaces, so that, so far as possible, they are not seen at all by the observer. '20

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 in which the side has been removed for convenience of illustration, a device is shown which is the same in construction and operation as the device illustrated in Fig. 1, except that a frustum l 3 of a cone has been substituted for the cylinder. Such frusturn of a cone is composed of slats or strips disposed in such a manner that to the observer the slats or strips on the nearer side always appear to cross those on the farther side in every position of rotation of the cone upon its bearings. This may be accomplished by arranging the slats or strips so that no edge of any slat or strip lies in the same plane with the axis of the cone. The

same phenomenon of apparently rising or falling areas of light background visible between the slats is produced upon rotation of the frusturn of the cone as is produced by the rotation of the cylinder in the device illustrated in Fig. 1. Any other solid geometrical figure, regular or irregular, the external surfaces of which are composed of slats or strips, may be substituted for the cylinder in Fig. 1, provided only that the slats or strips on the side of the figure nearer the observer always appear to cross those on the farther side, in every position of rotation of the figure upon its bearings. Every such figure, when rotated upon its bearings gives in greater or less degree, the same effect of creating the illusion that the light areas of the background visible between the slats appear-to rise or fall as the figure is rotated in one direction or the other.

The embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 differs from the aforedescribed constructions in that a flexible belt it, supported by and in frictional contact with rollers l and l5, has been substituted for the cylinder and frustum of a cone respectively. The belt is composed of spaced opaque strips disposed at an angle to both its length and breadth. It may be made of transparent material upon which is mounted opaque strips so disposed. The belt is adapted to be moved about the rollers by the rotation of roller I5, which is fixedly mounted upon shaft 16, as is gear II, which latter is actuated by worm i8 turned by source of power I 9. Rollers I5 and I5 are provided with flanges 2B and 2! to prevent the belt from working downward as the rollers are rotated. There is introduced a light background 22, preferably illuminated by source of light 23, behind the part 24 of the belt nearer to the observer and so as t0.conceal the part 25 of the belt farther from the observer. There is introduced into or near the opening in the front of the housing of the device a grid 26, composed of slats or strips disposed not parallel to the slats or strips of the part of the belt which is nearer to the observer. The observer from the front thus sees areas 27 of the background 22, bounded by the edges of strips of the belt M and of the grid Zdand as the belt is operated upon the rollers by the rotation of roller I5 in the manner provided for as described above, such areas appear to rise or fall depending upon the direction of movement of the belt. The direction of rising or falling respectively may be made vertical by fixing the slats of grid 26 in a vertical position.

Background 22 may be omitted from the device illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 and a light background introduced on the far side from the observer of both parts of the belt, as at 28 in Fig. 4. With such a construction, particularly if grid 26 is omitted from the device, the illusion of rising and falling areas of the light background at 28 is produced upon the rotation of the rollers and the consequent motion of the belt, in a fashion simiiar to the illusion created by the devices shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as hereinabove described. This is produced by the motion of the part of the belt nearer to the observer in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the part of the belt farther from the observer. The device operates in such case much as if the cylinder l shown in Fig. 1 had been rendered flexible and placed upon two rollers l5 and it.

The variation just described may be employed in combination with a device such as is illus trated in Fig. l or 2 by introducing a light background into the central part of the hollow cylinder or cone, or other figure, and placing a grid between the background and the observer. In this type of construction, the stationary grid may be placed between the moving belt, cylinder or other figure and the observer, as is illustrated in Fig. i, or it may be placed between the moving belt, cylinder or other figure and the background.

In all the devices described the effect may be varied by illuminating the background with one or more colors, by changing such colors from time to time, by illuminating the background with changing, varying or composite light effects, or by painting or otherwise decorating the surface of the background with lines, strips, figures or otherwise.

In all the devices described, the angle at which the slats or strips are placed with respect to each other and to the horizontal may be varied greatly. For example, the strips in the cylinder in Fig. 1 may be made so that they are nearly horizontal, thus creating an effect of more slowly rising or descending light areas when the cylinder is rotated at the same speed as a cylinder with the slats more nearly vertical, as illustrated.

The strips or slats may be made in varying widths and of any suitable material, flexible or stiff, including fabric, metal, rubber, leather and paper, but not limited thereto. The belt illustrated in Figs. 3 and l may be composed of flexible tapes at the top and bottom with stiff slats attached thereto. The edges of the slats or strips may be straight or curved or irregular. The slats may vary in width as to each other and as to various portions of themselves. They may be composed of translucent or relatively transparent or reflecting material.

In order to strengthen the structure of the cylinder or cone or other figure described, cross pieces of transparent or translucent material may be aiiixed to adjacent slats or strips, along part or all of their adjacent edges. Similarly, the entire cylinder or other figure as described may be mounted on a transparent form.

In any of the devices illustrated or described an additional grid or grids composed of slats may be interposed between the light background and the observer. A third or fourth grid in combination produces intermittent or bizarre effects which cannot be produced by the use of two grids only.

In any of the devices illustrated or described the slats or strips of one grid may be so disposed as to be parallel to the slats or strips of at least one other grid, or to another part of the same grid in alignment with the light background and the observer. By so arranging the slats or strips an effect of intermittent light may be obtained.

In any of the devices illustrated or described the rotation or other movement of the part bearing the moving slats or strips should preferably be moved relatively slowly in order to gain the greatest eifect of rising or falling areas of light background as described. Swift rotation gives other remarkable, Weird and bizarre effects.

In any of the devices illustrated or described the front wall of the device may be omitted and the advertising or other matter to which attention is sought to be directed may be placed upon the back wall of the device or upon the illumihated background described. In another embodiment of my invention the front wall is partly cut away and translucent or transparent material placed in the openings. Such translucent material may contain a picture or reading matter, and may be illuminated specially from the side away from the observer.

Another embodiment of my invention is composed of cylinders concentrically disposed and adapted to be rotated in the same direction at the same or different speeds, or in opposite directions, or one may be made to rotate while the other is held stationary. In such a construction the light background may be disposed on the far side from the observer of both cylinders, or it may be introduced within the inner cylinder, or between the cylinders on the far side of the inner cylinder from the observer.

In all the devices shown or described the background may be made dark and the slats or strips white or relatively light. In such case the slats or strips may be illuminated by artificial light. Such treatment of the illumination gives a corresponding effect of rising or falling areas of dark background in the same manner as described hereinabove, but reversing the parts of the device that appear to be light and dark respectively.

Various other changesin the specific forms shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A cylinder, rotatable about its axis, composed of slats not lying parallel to the axis of the cylinder, and having spaces between the slats, means for rotating the cylinder about its axis, and a light background visible between the slats.

2. A frustum of a cone, rotatable about its axis, composed of slats whose edges do not form.

elements of the cone, and having spaces between the slats, means for rotating said frustum about its axis, and a light background visible through the spaces between the slats.

3. In an advertising device, a single endless grid, composed of slats and having spaces between the slats, said slats being disposed so that those nearer the observer appear to be non-parallel to those farther from the observer, the grid being adapted to progress throughout its length along a path identical with the space occupied by it when stationary, and a light background visible between the slats.

4. In an advertising device, a plurality of grids composed of strips and having spaces between the strips, the said strips being disposed in such relation that the strips in one grid appear to the observer to be non-parallel with the strips in one other grid, one grid being endless and adapted to be moved throughout its own length, and a light background visible between the strips.

5. A plurality of grids composed of strips and having spaces between the strips, the strips in one grid being non-parallel to the strips in an other grid which is endless and is adapted for continuous progressive motion throughout its own length, and a light background visible between the strips of the grids.

6. A hollow cylinder the surface of which is composed of spaced strips disposed in non-parallel relation to the axis of the cylinder adapted to be rotated about a line substantially parallel to its axis, and a light background visible through the apertures defined by the edges of the strips composing that part of the cylinder which is nearest to the observer and the edges of the strips composing that part of the cylinder which is farthest from the observer.

7. In an advertising device, a series of spaced strips disposd upon the surface of a frustum of a cone so that the edges of the strips do not lie in,

the same plane with the axis of the cone, said cone being adapted for rotation about a line substantially parallel to the axis of the cone, and a light background visible between the strips.

8. In an advertising device, a single endless grid, composed of spaced strips disposed with relation to the grid so that the strips in that part of the grid farthest from the observer are nonparallel to the strips in that part of the grid nearest to the observer, a light background visible between the strips of the grid, the grid being adapted to be moved progressively throughout its length along a path substantially identical with the space occupied by such grid.

9. In an advertising device, a number of strips with spaces between them, disposed in the form of the surface of a solid figure, the strips nearest the observer being non-parallel to the strips farthest from the observer, a light background visible through the apertures defined by the edges of the strips nearest the observer and the edges of the strips farthest from the observer, and means for rotating such figure, whereby an illusion of motion of the visible portions of the light background is obtained when the figure is rotated.

10. Two grid surfaces composed of alternatively disposed opaque and transparent sec"- tions, said sections being disposed at an angle both with respect to the horizontal and the vertical so that when viewed in alignment the opaque sections of the aligned surfaces define a plurality of transparent surface portions, a light background visible through the transparent sections defined by said opaque sections and means for moving such surfaces relative to each other so that an illusion of motion is obtained when the surfaces are viewed in alignment.

11. A single continuous-grid surface composed of alternatively disposed opaque and transparent sections and adapted to be disposed so that two parts of such grid surface may be viewed in alignment, said sections being disposed at an angle both with respect to the horizontal and the vertical so that when viewed in alignment the opaque sections of the aligned parts of the said grid surface define a plurality of transparent surface portions, a source of light disposed so as to throw light through the transparent sections defined by said opaque sections and means for moving such aligned parts of the said grid surface relative to each other so that an illusion of motion is obtained when such parts of the said grid surface are viewed in alignment.

JAMES E. SAYRE. 

